Hand Cut Stems

[craig61a]

I would never have guessed a repairman would have JU stamp!

He not only does repairs, but has been making pipes for 40+ years. Additionally he's the authorized US repairman for Upshall, Ser Jacopo, Viprati, Ashton, Radice, Becker, and Il Ceppom, among others. He also knows and has worked with Ken Barnes in the past.

 

[craig61a]

Thank you! As an amateur pipemaker who thought about going into the profession in the 70s when I worked in a B&M pipeshop, but chose to pursue a career in the AF, I will look forward to my next trip to Minneapolis and a visit to his store. Our country slowly driving such artist out of business.

So I would guess you were an Eagle driver? I was an ECM tech on F-111's.

 

[alaskanpiper]

@alaskanpiper The gold band is hallmarked for 1984, so I would assume that's when it was made.

Probably a safe assumption! Haha.

 

[Ziggywm]

So I would guess you were an Eagle driver? I was an ECM tech on F-111's.

Nope. A skypilot of a different breed -"Chaplain". I began and ended my career with the Happy Hooligans, a FW of the NDANG. In my civilian career I taught at NDSU in the Religion Department. I worked in PACAF as ANG Command Chaplain, then State Chief of Chaplains for ND before retirement. I don't know how many hours I logged in the T-33, F-4, and F-16, but when I was the Wing Chaplain I tried to fly more then a desk. Being in the AF was the greatest experience of my life putting me on every continent, including Antarctica. Thank you for your service. I always wanted to ride in the WSO seat in the Aardvark but never got the chance.

 

[Rattray]

It took longer then I expected, but given the situation nowadays...

I had these pipes in for some hand cut stems. A local pipe guy, Rich Lewis did the work. The Charatan had a stem that was offset a bit, and the Barnes had a black stem. I was looking for something a little different, so I sourced some SEM ebonite and had these restemed.

Top notch work. Red/Black 8 swirl on the 1984 Upshall, and Orange/Black 8 swirl on the Ken Barnes ‘K’.

View attachment 69886

Very nice choice of stem colors!

 

[macaroni]

Beautiful stems! Thank you for posting!!
kindly
mike

 

[craig61a]

Nope. A skypilot of a different breed -"Chaplain". I began and ended my career with the Happy Hooligans, a FW of the NDANG. In my civilian career I taught at NDSU in the Religion Department. I worked in PACAF as ANG Command Chaplain, then State Chief of Chaplains for ND before retirement. I don't know how many hours I logged in the T-33, F-4, and F-16, but when I was the Wing Chaplain I tried to fly more then a desk. Being in the AF was the greatest experience of my life putting me on every continent, including Antarctica. Thank you for your service. I always wanted to ride in the WSO seat in the Aardvark but never got the chance.

OK, well I was going by the photo in your avatar.

The AF allowed me to travel to Denver CO, Mountain Home ID, Elmendorf AK, Biloxi MS, Hickham HI, Clark in the Phillipines, Lakenheath in the UK, Europe. Places I would have probably never ended up had I not been in the AF.

 

[Ziggywm]

OK, well I was going by the photo in your avatar.

The AF allowed me to travel to Denver CO, Mountain Home ID, Elmendorf AK, Biloxi MS, Hickham HI, Clark in the Phillipines, Lakenheath in the UK, Europe. Places I would have probably never ended up had I not been in the AF.

The Avatar is me as a 1st Lt on the steps of the Shooting Star after flying in the back seat at Gulfport, MS. F4s had to hunt us down over the Gulf. That T-Bird was a little sports car and could turn on a dime. No G-suits so you literally lost 10 lbs of water squeezed from every pore. ? I served at Hickam HQ and was in AK often. Most people don't know how big the Pacific is - but we do. ? Glad we belong to the club of pipe smokers.

 

[kcghost]

Nice looking stems!!

 

[craig61a]

The Avatar is me as a 1st Lt on the steps of the Shooting Star after flying in the back seat at Gulfport, MS. F4s had to hunt us down over the Gulf. That T-Bird was a little sports car and could turn on a dime. No G-suits so you literally lost 10 lbs of water squeezed from every pore. ? I served at Hickam HQ and was in AK often. Most people don't know how big the Pacific is - but we do. ? Glad we belong to the club of pipe smokers.

OK, well it looked like an F-15 canopy. Guess I don’t remember that well after all these years. I saw a 33 come in back in 1981 on the flightline at Mtn. Home, some General was flying it. A the time I didn’t know they were still flying. Lots of good memories...